Beowolf

There are many occurrences of Christian and Pagan ideals in the poem Beowulf. They play a key part in showing the morality and meaning of this poem by the poets of the time. They help us get a sense of the religion of the time and grasp the concepts throughout Beowulf. The importance of these elements affect the main characters and their action.

Christian and pagan elements occur throughout Beowulf. These elements have been combined in the poem and help describe the warrior, Beowulf, and the evil Grendel's mother (Morse 2). We see Christian and pagan ideals in Grendel's mother's attack. They are the motivation for this attack. The reader is introduced to Grendel's mother through her family.

"From [Cain] sprang many a devil sent by fate" (Morse, 1).This quotation helps us see the use of Christian and pagan elements. This line from the Bible helps explain Grendel's mother and we get a sense of her evil. The Christian God has given man free will; therefore what will happen to man is not controlled by fate, but it is controlled by God (Morse 4). We understand the Christian and pagan elements that exist in Beowulf, by understanding why the author has used these ideas (Wilson, 200). We see how they affect the plot of the

poem. They are linked to two major events in the poem. These are Grendel's mother revenge and Aeschere's death.

The Christian and pagan ideals of Beowulf shows us the time in which it was written. It was "a period in which the virtues of the heathen 'Heroic Age' were tempered by the gentleness of the new belief; an age warlike, yet Christian (Morse 3). As a good Christian, the poet found himself faced with the task of treating this originally pagan material in a manner acceptable to a Christian audience" (Wilson,183) People of this time were punished greatly for their choice of religion. In Beowulf, Hrothgar and his Danes were punished for their beliefs.

The poets combine the pagan idea of Ragnarok to show that Beowulf is fighting for God. Ragnorok is the end of the world and when all good warriors must fight for their god. Grendel was at war with God (Morse 2). Grendel's mother represents evil and must fight the feud. In other words, evil still lives. Beowulf himself says,

"each of us must await his end of the world's life."

This helps introduce us to the beginning of feuds for Christian and pagan